Identity area
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Date(s)
- 1984-1992 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Six typed letter, one envelope, one press release, one original and one photocopied press cutting and two printed leaflets
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Kenneth MacMillan was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and began ballet classes in Retford, England, in 1940. He joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in 1944 and later the Sadler's Wells Ballet but gave up dancing for choreography partly due to crippling stage fright. His first choreographic work was Somnambulism, created for the Sadler's Wells Ballet Choreographic Group in 1953 and he created works for both Royal Ballet companies throughout his career. He created significant works for The Stuttgart Ballet and his works are danced by ballet companies world-wide. He has also created work for television and cinema.
Kenneth MacMillan was Director of the Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin from 1966 to 1969, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet from 1970 to 1977 and its Principal Chroreographer from 1977 until his death. He was also Associate Director of American Ballet Theatre from 1984 to 1989, and Artistic Associate of the Houston Ballet from 1989 to 1992.
Kenneth MacMillan was knighted in 1983, and he received honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh (1976) and the Royal College of Art (1992). His awards include the Evening Standard Ballet Award (1979); Society of West End Theatre Ballet Award, 1980 and 1983; and, posthumously, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 1993 for The Judas Tree; the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 1993; and the Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1994 for Carousel
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The material in this file covers performances of Kenneth MacMillan's ballet Elite Syncopations at the Bayerische Staatsoper. It contains correspondence from Ronald [Hynd] asking Kenneth MacMillan to stage the ballet in Munich, thanking him for attending the premiere, and explaining why he is leaving as Artistic Director, 7 Nov 1984 - 15 May 1986. There is material relating to the legal dispute arising from whether the musicians should be obliged to perform on stage, including a letter (in German) from Wolfgang Sawallisch, Director of the Bayerische Staatsoper, and from Kathleen Quinn, News Assistant at the New York Times, with copies of a press release from the Bavarian State Opera and the German Orchestra Association, 30 Mar 1988 and 29 Mar 1988. There are two press cuttings about the dispute and a letter from an American academic asking for information, 28 Sep 1992
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Name access points
- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)